Maker Camp is a great way for communities large and small to engage kids and teens
this summer with cool projects and activities. Maker Camp is free for
everyone online. Everyone can join, no matter where they live, because
Maker Camp is online, and it’s free! https://makercamp.com/project-library/

https://www.nasa.gov/stem/forstudents/9-12/index.html
Host an amateur radio contact with Space Station, or attend a free online lecture on
how Nasa observes Earth from air and orbit, or join Club for the Future and get a
postcard from space. These and more are all available from the NASA website.

American Chemical Society:

Articles relating to chemistry – ChemMatters explains chemistry behind everyday phenomena. Its a great starting place for students to write a research report involving chemistry or science. Each ChemMatters article is written in an accessible manner, allowing students to grasp chemistry concepts that they can then research further or incorporate into a presentation or a research paper.

Biology Simulations:Developed for 9th grade Honors Biology classes

Biology Simulations helps students to learn about biology and practice data analysis skills. These simulations allow students to experiment with concepts that may take too much time or too many resources to complete in a traditional science lab setting. Some simulations are guided virtual labs while others can be used for a science inquiry approach by allowing the user to make decisions and control multiple variables.

EveryDay Earth is a non-traditional learning program, in that it is based on location-based inquiry-based learning.

Every day, kids that go outside and play in the dirt or roll in the grass are learning. They learn about their environment by interacting with that environment. By traveling to many places, we broaden the child’s ability to interact with many environments, and further expanding their potential to learn!

EveryDay Earth builds off this concept, as a location-based example of inquiry learning. Like a field trip, we take the user places, and interact with that place, in a manner of their choosing.

A super cool website to learn about music and create your own music, with just your phone, tablet, laptop or computer.

Quiz Hub

https://quizhub.com/
Quiz Hub features quiz games for students, including teens in middle and high
school. Teens can take quizzes to review subjects such as biology, U.S. history,
middle school math and SAT vocabulary.

TedEd features fun, animated lessons and how-to videos that help students learn
about a variety of topics in just a few minutes. You can filter the videos by category
such as Business &amp; Economics, Health or Mathematics to find what you need. Most
videos are about five minutes or less and explain a specific concept or answer a
question like &quot;Why Should You Read Macbeth?”

Parents: Have a child starting to use Google Classroom? Here’s a step-by-step, basic guide to understanding how it works:

Tutor.com:in order to assist the increased number of homebound students, Tutor.com
has expanded its hours. Students will be able to connect with tutors from 9
AM-10 PM, Monday through Friday, until June 15.

The Westchester Library System subscribes to a variety of third-party online resources offering eBooks (as well as streaming audio and video). Westchester County residents who are active cardholders are entitled to access to free access to these services using their library card number and PIN.

Please be aware that different services may offer access to different content: a book that is not accessible on Hoopla may be available through Overdrive or Freading. The most up-to-date information on all of these resources can be found by visiting the Westchester Library System website at this link..

What is Freading?

A downloadable eBook service offered by the Westchester Library System. eBooks borrowed through Freading are compatible with Sony, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Kobo e-reader devices, as well as your Windows or Mac computer. Download the free Freading app to read via your iPad, iPhone, or Android phone or tablet. Visit this link for information on how to use Freading with a Kindle Fire e-reader.

Free Journals and Databases

Numerous online journals, article databases, and academic resources are now available for free to the general public in response to the pandemic. Expand the section below to see a complete list.

What is Hoopla?

Hoopla has a collection of nearly half a million titles across six categories: Movies, TV, Music Albums, Audiobooks, eBooks, and Comics/Graphic novels. Unlike Overdrive, there are never any holds or waiting lists! Every item you see listed is available for you to check out.

Due to the recent library closings regarding Coronavirus concerns, the monthly maximum has been increased for Hoopla to 10 titles as of Friday, 3/13/2020.

Note: When registering for a Hoopla account, enter “Westchester Library System” as your home library. If you receive a message about an invalid or expired library card when attempting to check a title out, please go into Settings, then Library Settings, re-enter your PIN and save your settings.

How Do I Get Started on Hoopla?

What is OverDrive?

Overdrive is an online library of thousands of e-books and audiobooks. Titles are downloadable to your Kindle or other similar e-readers and e-reading apps. You can also access these collections any time of day; even if the library is closed!

Similar to using the physical library, Overdrive titles can be checked out for 2 or 3 week periods. If a title is unavailable, the user can place a hold for it and be notified when the e-copy is available again.

The best part, however, is that Overdrive titles return themselves automatically. This means there are never overdue/late fees! Either browse Overdrive on your computer, or download the Libby app to browse on-the-go.

What is Publisher's Weekly?

The weekly trade magazine for publishers, libraries, and booksellers, AKA “The International News Magazine of Book Publishing and Bookselling”. for more information on availability and services through Publishers Weekly, click here.

https://boyslife.org/
Published by the Boy Scouts of America, Boys&#39; Life magazine and the accompanying
website provide fun, ideas and knowledge to boys from ages 7 to 18. Play games,
read jokes and comics, learn about the latest outdoor gear, enter a contest or check
out some awesome Eagle Scout projects. If you love the outdoors, this website is full
of expert advice and outdoor hacks.

Mystery Science Theater 3000

https://mst3k.com/video
Mad scientists trap an employee in space and force him to watch some of the worst movies that you could ever get the rights to broadcast—so he riffs on the films with the help of robot buddies built from parts of the theater control system.

Teen Nick

http://www.teennick.com/
Teen Nick fans will find information on the latest shows, as well as games, videos
and quizzes through Teen Nick’s website. While the site offers updates about Teen
Nick shows, it also has features that interest teens such as surviving high school and
back to school ideas.

The InSite

http://www.theinsite.org/
The InSite is designed for teens who have an interest in improving the world. Teens
can learn about social justice, building a positive self-image and helping the Earth.
They can also submit artwork and writing or participate in discussions about
making the world a better place.

We are living in a monumental historical time, and 100 years from now historians will be combing resources to piece together what life was really like during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Journaling can be your contribution to history, as well a source of relief and connection. Whether you see it as a blog or a diary, keeping an online journal to recount your day, or an event is one way to stay in touch with others, find relief from stress, or simply help you to reflect.

Alternatively, keep your own personal print journal! Journalling is generally a great stress/anxiety aid, as well as a way to preserve memories.

https://www.stardoll.com/en/
Stardoll features games that allow teens to express their fashion sense. Design
outfits or play dress up games to experiment with different types of fashion. The
company consistently produces new and exciting features like new fashion lines, as
well as a host of ways to make the ultimate experience more exciting for teens and
tweens. There is always something new going on at Stardoll.

Teen Vogue

https://www.teenvogue.com/
Vogue is one of the top fashion magazines and Teen Vogue caters specifically to the
teen audience. Check out the latest styles for teens or learn all about celebrity style.

Habbo Hotel is a place for teens to come and chat. Each teen receives a personal room to decorate with virtual objects. They can also customize their avatars by dressing them in virtual clothes or create games to play with friends. The room might have music, be set up like a classroom, or have other features so the different avatars can visit one another. The rooms teens can interact in are staffed by adult moderators to make sure it stays safe.

Marco Polo App

Videochatting with friends and family is great, but sometimes your schedules just don’t align. Marco Polo is a bit like SnapChat, except that you can’t

search for users or add them without their phone number. Simply record a video message to a specific friend or family member, and they can watch live if they’re around– or record you one when they have a moment later. Marco Polo also doesn’t sell ads or user data, making it a safer choice than most social media sites!

Hosted by MIT Media Lab’s Lifelong Kindergarten Program, Scratch is a place where teens program and share stories, games and animations they create. To join the free online community, teens only need to create a username and provide their country, age, gender and an email address. Check out the creations of others, then comment and chat about them, or make your own animation to share.

Teens looking for other teens to talk with about problems or embarrassing questions can call, text, email or online chat with trained teenage volunteers through Teen Line. All lines of communication are open in the evenings to provide peer support to teens during after school hours. Every topic, from gender identity to divorce or depression, can be discussed with another teenager who understands where you’re coming from. There are also tons of message boards for lighter topics like fashion and pop culture, health and fitness or homework help. Due to the current corona virus pandemic, phone lines are closed, but text and email remain open.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Girlshealth.gov features health information for tween and teen girls. In addition to articles on health, fitness and nutrition, girls will also find quizzes, celebrity spotlights and videos with tips on topics such as bullying, relationships and planning for the future.

Boston Children’s Hospital presents Young Men’s Health, a website designed to provide information about teen health. Teen boys can ask questions or review the question of the week to find information on uncomfortable health issues. They can also browse in-depth health guides in categories ranging from health and fitness to emotional or sexual health.

if you’re a fan of Andrew LLoyd Webber musicals– check out his Facebook page. He regularly posts himself playing and asks people to submit videos of their sing-alongs. Try a sing-along: the “best” are edited into a compilation each week.

Never had time to cook before? Try out some new recipes! https://minimalistbaker.com/—-Minimalist Baker is a place for recipes requiring 10 ingredients or less, 1 bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare.